Name: Plowright, Sylvan Allan-Dale

Historical Note: Sylvan Plowright was born in Jamaica. He is the youngest child of Charlotte and Clifton Plowright. He attended Miami Edison High School. He marched with the Northwestern Marching Band. Mr. Plowright went to the University of Miami Special High School Program after being recruited by The Greater St. James Baptist Church and Dr Rhaming of the University of Miami. He graduated in 1978. Shortly after finshing high school, he attended the Occupational Industrialization Center (OIC), directed by Dr. Samuel Moncur, and studied building repair and maintenance. After graduating OIC, he found a job as a painter with former classmate Charles McDowell (McDowell later started a painting business). He painted Dade County schools and courthouses, and preserved and repainted art exhibits at Metrorail stations and the Magic Kingdom in Orlando. He attended Miami Dade Junior College with the goal of becoming a social worker. In 1980, he dropoped out of school after being assaulted by Miami Dade Police during the Arthur McDuffie riots. After dropping out, he began a career in boxing at the age of 22. While pursing his boxing career, he worked as a building engineer for the Mutual of Omaha in Miami. In 1990 he worked with AFLCIO Local 272 to rebuild the Port of Miami bridge, and Local 478 to build the Federal Courthouse and Prison. In 1991, Mr. Plowright's mother passed away, after which date he began pusuing writing as a hobby. In 1993, he met artist Marvin Weeks whom he worked with to create Timbuktu, an African American idea marketplace. He participated in many cultural festivals in Miami and New Orleans. In 1995, he began a boxing company, "Tomorrows' Champion Boxing Academy."

Sources: Collection

Records or Manuscript Collections Created by Plowright, Sylvan Allan-Dale